Green and efficient oxidation of benzylic alcohols with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by an inorganic–organic hybrid catalyst

Abstract

Inorganic–organic hybrid catalysts 1-POM(M) were prepared by electrostatic interaction between transition metal-substituted polyoxometalates, {[PW₁₁MO₃₉]⁴⁻ [M = Cr(III), Fe(III)], [PW₁₁MO₃₉]⁵⁻, [M = Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II)], [PW₁₁VO₄₀]⁴⁻}, and branched organic polyammonium, (tris[2-(dimethylammonium)ethyl]-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), and characterized by elemental analyses, UV–vis and FT IR spectroscopic techniques, XRD, SEM, and Thermogravimetric-Differential thermogravimetric analyses. The hybrid material 1-POM(Zn) was an efficient and selective heterogeneous catalyst in the oxidation of benzylic alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds with hydrogen peroxide. The catalyst was reused several times without significant loss of catalytic activity.

Keywords:

• Hybrid catalyst
• Polyoxometalate
• Oxidation
• Alcohol
• Aldehyde

Acknowledgment

The support of this work by Center of Excellence of Chemistry of University of Isfahan (CECUI) is acknowledged.